Thinking about getting a bird... advice?

[horseplaypen]

Hey guys!

I'm thinking about getting a bird in about six months or so... it's a long story, but I won't be able to get one until September, so I'm using the time to do some research. I'm looking for a companion kind of bird, one that is friendly and likes to be petted and be social. So far I've been thinking about a canary, a lovebird, a cockatiel, or some of the calmer varieties of conures. What do you think? I'll be in school more or less full time, but I'll always be home in the evenings to spend time with the bird.

Also, is it recommended to buy these kind of birds from pet stores? For instance, I know with cats and dogs you're not supposed to go there because they might come from puppy mills. Is there a danger of that with birds, or should I just buy from a breeder? In that case, does anyone know any breeders of the above species in or around Vancouver BC?

Thanks SO much for your help!
Victoria

[LEZ]

Originally Posted by horseplaypen

Hey guys!

I'm thinking about getting a bird in about six months or so... it's a long story, but I won't be able to get one until September, so I'm using the time to do some research. I'm looking for a companion kind of bird, one that is friendly and likes to be petted and be social. So far I've been thinking about a canary, a lovebird, a cockatiel, or some of the calmer varieties of conures. What do you think? I'll be in school more or less full time, but I'll always be home in the evenings to spend time with the bird.

Also, is it recommended to buy these kind of birds from pet stores? For instance, I know with cats and dogs you're not supposed to go there because they might come from puppy mills. Is there a danger of that with birds, or should I just buy from a breeder? In that case, does anyone know any breeders of the above species in or around Vancouver BC?

Thanks SO much for your help!
Victoria

Depending on how much money u got. but out of what you been looking at sun conures are great, nice bright colours, orange heads with bright yellow body and green flights can be a bit expensive for hand reared ones but you wouldnt regret it. if money is tight then cockatiels are great. canary dont like
you handle them, my ones eat out of my hands but would never let you hold them. hope thats some help but its really up to yourself what takes your fancy.
LEZ

[Tiki]

As you can see by my avatar,I am REALLY into cockatiels and can't recommend them highly enough. They are sweet natured, friendly little birds and bond well to their humans. I would go straight to a breeder who handrears their birds and ask to see several birds. Then choose the one who seems to like YOU the most! A GOOD breeder will be more emotionally invested in the birds and want them to be happy and will spend more time making sure you understand how to care for them properly.

[hugs28]

I have to agree with Tiki, I have 2 cockatiels and they are the sweetest. I have had different parrots over the years, other peoples headaches unfortunatly, but I love my cockatiels. They are not too loud, specially if you are gonna be in a dorm or somewhere you need a quieter bird.

Sun conures are very pretty creatures, but they are loud screamers also, just so you know. Actually the conure family is known for there loudness, however they are beauties, there are more quiet ones then others, but suns are supposed to be the loudest. If quietness is a must for you, then I would not go with a conure or the parrots even though you didn't mention those.

Canaries don't like to be held, like Tiki said. I have found parrotlets to be nice, but don't know much about there disposition, they are a smaller bird.

Good luck no matter what you do. Hope you make the right choice for you.

[Vankarhi]

All of the above I agree with. Canaries are beautiful and if bought young can tame down, but not like a parrot. I would advice a cockatiel, make sure you get a young one and preferably hand raised that way it is already quiet and wanting human company. If you can get one from a breeder I feel it would be better, because hopefully they can tell you all about them and guarantee a young one, plus I find they are cheaper than pet shops. My son bought himself (I bought it for him as a housewarming present) an Alexandrine baby parrot. He visited him while he was being handraised and the breeder told him how to look after him, plus I only paid $250.00, when the pet shops charge about $400.00. Also pet shops charge about $80.00 for handraised cockatiels, where I bought one about 7 years ago for $45.00 and they were about $60-90 in pet shops then. I am not saying don't buy one from a pet shop, just look around and hopefully you will find what you are looking for. Also the sun conures are very loud, from all I have read and seen. I have never owned one but have seen them at a breeders place. But they are beautiful and he recommended them to me, but I wanted an eclectus. Good luck.

[SunConure1]

if you after a conure green cheeked conures are quiet little birds make great pets and love the affection and love to be out with you all the time. They love water and are very playful little birds they like to get into trouble and will keep there owners entertained for hours.

[hugs28]

I forgot to add about the breeder vs pet store thingy lol. I personally think a breeder is better in most situations. I get all my animals, dogs, birds, rabbits from breeders, as they are handled much better then in pet stores, the don't sit in cages all the time like pet stores. Unless you have a pet store by you that is like the one here by me. We have a store here that the cockatiels and all the other birds, including parrots are not in cages always, the parrots have cages to be in at night, but during the day they are out and about for human contact, granted they are in a closed room then the rest, but they are out and you can go in there and interact with them. The cockatiels are not in cages, I am not sure at night though, but the have a acrylic play area for them that has the 4 walls that are about 2 ft high or so, with lots of toys in it and you are allowed in that room anytime, even without a person from the store and you can touch and pick up the birds and interact with them. Now I purchased 2 cockatiels a few weeks ago. One was from this pet store, and another was from a pet store where they are caged all the time. HUGE difference between the two birds. They were able to be put in the same cage, but my bird beebee who we got from the open cage place is such a sweetie, won't bite and practically fall out of the cage to get to you. Loves to eat anything I put infront of him/her. The other one, frost is a bit more timid, and when we got him/her it would do nothing but bite and did not wanna be bothered, he is getting better now though, but still don't like the fingers lol. I believe it is because of being poked at through the cage. Now the one from the cageless place cost me $139, the other $100, HUGE difference between the 2. Beebee is a pearly pied and frost is a hmmm I forget, he is white and grey like, but anyway, beebee and the others were there for about a week before being turned over to a new home and were always handled and treated like they never left the breeder. Frost was in the cage for 4 months til we bought him, and he does not want to be away from his cage lol. Anyway you decide is best for you. We could not find a breeder in the area, that is why we went where we did. I was not going to get 2, but hubby felt bad for frost being in the cage at the store lol, hence we got 2 now :) but we love them both. good luck, sorry so long winded, wanted to show you the difference. I also have an eclectus and from a breeder around here he is about 800-1000 and from a petstore 1600 easy. Anyway good luck :)

[horseplaypen]

Wow - thanks for all the great advice, you guys. I didn't know that about canaries at all, and I'm glad I do, because I think I might have been disappointed had I gotten one. So it looks like the majority recommend cockatiels... that's good to know. I will be living with my parents, so I can have a bird that makes *some* noise, so long as it's not screaming 24/7. Does anyone know much about blue crowned conures? I read that they are pretty calm.

Well I still have some time to decide, but I will be sure to check back and let you know how it goes, and I will undoubtedly have more questions to ask too!

Thanks again!

[Vega]

even quiet conures aren't that quiet! But after a few weeks you get used to it. Just don't have your ear too close to them in case of an outburst! LOL My ears are STILL ringing!

[birdyland]

I've had both a green cheeked conure and a sun.... both are GEORGOUS birds. I highly recommend a green cheeked as they are wonderful companion birds. I also agree that cockatiels are wonderful companion birds as well ( I have had the pleasure of having three at different times in the past). SUN conures are way too loud, I have not met one that was not too loud at least part of the time, where as green cheeks tend to yell only very occasionally, and it is nothing like the screetch of a sun.

My vote would be for a green cheeked or a tiel. That brings you to the question of space and money. Both of these birds should be provided a good amount of room. Please make sure NOT to get a smaller cage more designed for a budgie, get the biggest reasonable cage for either of these birds... and make sure the bar spacing is designed for them. Money: A green cheek will be more. Of the two, I would pick a green cheek, but one of my favorite pets of all time was what I can only describe as a Lutino Pearl/Pied Cockatiel She was 12 years old when she came to me and is a yellow cockatiel with bright orange cheeks and with both pearl and pied type markings on her wings (barly hinted gray) She was a great bird and I miss her dearly. My family does too... the day she stopped breathing, my father had even tried to give her CPR. We still talk about her (Melody) and Houdini the greencheeked we had for about 8 years....even though we now have a couple of big gals (scarlet macaw and M2).